Professional Colleagues
by WriterFreak001
Summary: As quickly as possible, she threw her clothes back on and then looked apologetically towards Walter. "I'm sorry," she whispered before tiptoeing out of the loft and racing for the door.
1. Chapter 1

**WriterFreak001:**

I've been meaning to write this for a while, but this week has been SUPER busy! Hope you enjoy my take on what COULD have happened at the end of 2x01 with Walter and Paige. I thought about taking the story from the ending of 2x01, but I decided to start with a different twist.

* * *

 **Title** | Professional Colleagues

 **Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

 **Description** | _As quickly as possible, she threw her clothes back on and then looked apologetically towards Walter. "I'm sorry," she whispered before tiptoeing out of the loft and racing for the door._

 **Rating** | This fanfiction will be rated T.

 **POV** | Limited Third Person

 **Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_ , I am the owner of this masterpiece.

 **Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

 **Professional Colleagues**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Part 1**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Paige slowly opened her eyes to find herself _not_ sleeping in her bed and _not_ sleeping on her pillow and _definitely_ not in her bedroom. Seeing Walter O'Brien sleeping peacefully next to her was frightfully alarming, and the fact that _both_ of them were naked made her heart skip too many beats. _This_ wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be there, and she certainly wasn't supposed to be tangled up with her boss, either. They had agreed to _remain_ professional colleagues in spite of their feelings… in spite of their attraction… in spite of everything. They were supposed to stay friends and move on; that was what they decided…, but last night, God, last night was something else.

She remembered every single moment, and just thinking about how he… and the way he… made her blush fifty shades of red. She couldn't count how many times Walter made her toes curl last night, and while everything they did together was way beyond Paige's wildest dreams and crazy fantasies, it shouldn't have happened.

She knew Walter wanted to stay professional, and she would never want to compromise Scorpion for anything; things were supposed to stay mildly awkward for a while, but after all of this? After the insanely wonderful night they had?

She felt sick.

She knew Walter would want to pretend _this_ never happened; it would be the only way for him to process it… and not have whatever they shared last night affect the team. Sleeping with Walter, though greatly warranted and heavily desired, was something Paige should have never encouraged; she should have stopped things before Walter had the chance to lead her up to his bedroom; sure, sharing a kiss would have been awkward to deal with at first, but sleeping together? How was she supposed to get over that? More importantly, how would _he_ process it? Was Walter even _ready_ to process something so emotionally invested?

As Walter quietly stirred in his sleep and twisted away from her, Paige carefully slid off of the bed and silently gathered her clothes (of what she could find, anyway) before sneaking out of his bedroom towards the living space. As quickly as possible, she threw her clothes back on and then looked apologetically towards Walter. "I'm sorry," she whispered before tiptoeing out of the loft and racing for the door.

She never drove home so fast.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Paige absolutely hated herself for running away this morning, but last night was a mistake. Professional colleagues _don't_ sleep together, and if Walter really cared about Scorpion, then he would see everything they did together as a mistake as well. It would be mutual. It _had_ to be mutual.

But God, why did mistakes have to be so damn wonderful? And amazing? And just plain earthshattering? Even though Paige thought last night shouldn't have happened, it didn't mean she didn't want it again. If their relationship wasn't already so complicated – with her having a son to parent and Walter having a company to run, Paige would be back in that genius's bedroom in seconds.

Oh how she yearned to run her hands all over his body again and to feel him touch her in places that hadn't been touched in many, _many_ years, but… no. She _couldn't_ fantasize like that anymore. It wasn't appropriate. They were just professional colleagues. _Professional colleagues who had apparently slept together_.

On her drive home, it was like the universe was taunting her. She turned to one station, and a woman was complaining about her failed love life, another station was playing Bonnie Raitt's 'I Can't Make You Love Me,' and the third station she tried was airing a sexy song about licking lips. It was going to be a long day.

She better call in sick.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Walter was so confused. He woke up this morning to find Paige missing. At first, he thought she could be in the bathroom, but after he noticed her clothes were gone as well, it didn't take long for him to realize she ran….

Just like they all do.

What greatly puzzled him was that he thought last night was… indescribable… unlike anything he had ever experienced. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel something last night, and he thought… well, he guessed, Paige had felt something too. Just _thinking_ about last night made him swoon.

And if last night was as completely and utterly incredible (for lack of a more accurate term) for her as it was for him, then why did she leave? He thought Paige was different…. He thought she would _be_ different. So why? Why did she leave? Was it something he said? Did? Did not do? Did he do something wrong? Was there something wrong with _him_? He absolutely did not get it, and he didn't think he was going to _stop_ wondering why she left until he confronted her once she came in for work.

He replayed _everything_ they did last night inside his mind, trying to figure out what went wrong. They were talking about theories. She noted how they didn't properly test their assumption out, and she was right. Before he knew it, she was leaning in, and then he was leaning in... The way her lips felt against his as she captured him into a kiss was electrifying, and he couldn't get enough. He remembered leaning into the kiss, towering over her with such passion as she ran her hands through his hair. And then he grew scared… frightened… mortified. He had never been so scared of anything in his entire life, but he wasn't scared of Paige. He was scared of losing her if things progressed. He was scared of not being the person she wanted him to be… not being perfect for her….

Without really thinking things through, he tore away from her, and she claimed she didn't feel anything so he went along and made a ridiculous fib about his attraction to her. But then, as she was smiling at him, he had realized his mistake and wanted, _really_ wanted to kiss her again. With a spring in his step, he started to suggest a retrial, but the next thing he knew, her lips were on his, her fingers were in his hair again, and her legs were firmly wrapped around his hips. And boy did he kiss her; he had one arm holding her against him as the other lightly touched her side, careful not to hurt her with his hand brace. Somehow, he wasn't entirely sure, they ended up on the couch; she was on top of him, and they were kissing each other senselessly. She was loosening his tie, and he was sliding his left hand up her shirt. Everything happened so fast. One minute, they were on the couch, crazily making out and releasing some of their pent up sexual tension, the next, he was leading her up the stairs to his loft. And then the next several hours were… indefinable. How her soft skin felt against his… how she touched him and kissed him and loved him…. There were virtually no words to describe anything Walter felt last night. But the way she made him feel was not something he wanted to forget – nor never experience again.

He knew they had agreed to remain professional, but… after last night… he was greatly reconsidering his thoughts about workplace entanglements…. At least…, he hoped to reconsider.

He really _needed_ to understand what could have possibly went wrong last night. He _had_ to know why Paige left…, and he needed to know _very_ soon. Otherwise, he was going to lose focus on everything today, and _that_ was something he couldn't afford to do.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

When Walter finally made his descent to the office area of the garage, his eyes scrolled to Paige's desk. She wasn't there. Pretending not to notice the liaison's absence, Walter went straight to his desk and collapsed into his chair. He was almost too tired to function completely, but he had no regrets.

"You look wonderful," Toby said casually as he strode over to Walter and then leaned against the super genius's desk. "Trouble sleeping last night?"

Walter rolled his eyes and yawned. "Of course not."

"Surrrre," Toby chuckled as he twirled his hat on his index finger. "Anyway, Paige called."

Walter's ears perked and he gave the shrink his undivided attention. "She did?"

"Yeah. Little Miss Felony's not feeling well; she asked for the day off, and since I'm the team's unlicensed doctor, I went ahead and told her to rest up and get better." Toby casually said as he plopped his hat back onto his head and then folded his arms. "But she didn't sound sick, though."

Walter suppressed the need to gulp. "W-what do you mean?"

"Well, she said she had a headache, but she didn't _sound_ like she had a headache." Toby mused as he lifted an eyebrow. "In fact, she displayed the same distance in her voice as you did yesterday after _the embarrassment_. So… that leads me to conclude," Toby smirked and clapped his hands together, "that _something_ happened between you two last night."

" _Nothing_ happened." Walter answered way too quickly and quietly as he rose to his feet and marched towards the kitchen. He didn't want to hear Toby's assessment this morning.

"Wow," Toby, unimpressed with Walter's response, followed the super genius and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Never pegged you as a terrible liar, 197. You automatically walking away from me is a marker of defense. You might as well quit the theatrics, O'Brien. Even if you lie, I'll still pick up on your body language."

Walter groaned and rubbed his temples. As much as he hated Toby's psychobabble, he _really_ needed some insight, and since Paige wasn't in the mood to come in today, he decided it was best to give her space. Though, he wasn't too turned off by the idea of visiting her later if she hadn't dropped by the garage by then. "Fine. Back room." Walter said nothing else as he swiftly walked towards the interrogation room. The shrink, smiling from his sweet victory, didn't hesitate to follow Walter.

Once the door was closed behind the two geniuses, Walter stood there with his hands shoved into his pockets, but he didn't say anything.

"Obviously we're in here for privacy, Walt… so… what's going on between you and Paige? I mean, I usually don't like to dive into relationship drama," Toby paused as Walter glared at him, "Hey," Toby rose his hands in defense, "trying to push you and Paige together was a necessity. Anyway, we're not in here to talk about me. We're in here because something's bothering you, and you clearly need some advice."

Walter was reluctant to tell Toby _anything_.

Perhaps he should wait to sort things out with Paige first before talking to the shrink.

Then again, if he waited and said something to upset Paige, then he'd be right back where he started….

Talking to Toby, unfortunately, was the most efficient thing Walter could do right now.

"I'm not getting any younger, 197." Toby impatiently tapped his foot as Walter fiercely stared at the ground.

"Paige and I," Walter mumbled, "slept together last night."

"Huh?" Toby blinked. "Could you repeat that? I didn't hear you. You were too incoherent."

"Never mind. Forget it." Walter groaned as he stormed out of the interrogation room. What was he thinking? Toby should be the _last_ person to find out about him and Paige. Walter couldn't believe he was actually considering telling Toby about his night with Paige. Before the shrink could catch up to him, Walter said rather loudly, "I'm going out! Don't follow!"

And then he was gone.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Paige stared at the ceiling of her bedroom as she replayed everything that happened last night. Was she really out of her mind for thinking their night of passion was a mistake? It was so beautifully perfect; how could something so wonderful be so wrong? She wanted to be with Walter, and she was sure as hell Walter wanted to be with her, but was it right? Was it appropriate? Would their relationship, if they were to ever have one, ruin Scorpion?

Hell if she knew.

For hours, all she did was think about Walter. She _shouldn't_ think about him, but she couldn't help it. He was in every essence of her now, and there was no turning back. There was only moving forward… as strictly professional colleagues.

Nothing more.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

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 **WriterFreak001:**

This will, at most, be a three part story, but I'm banking on it being only a two-part story. Let me know what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2

**WriterFreak001:**

Thank you for all of your reviews. I did some edits to the last chapter (minor ones that did not change anything to the story) in case you were curious, and I had a reader ask about my disclaimer. First of all, the reason I call every story a masterpiece is because a masterpiece, to me, is something artists pride themselves in. I spend a lot of my free time working with FanFiction, and I love what I do, and that's why I call these stories masterpieces.

Also, some of my older stories are for the fandom Beauty & the Beast; it used to say: "While CW owns Beauty & the Beast, I am the owner of this masterpiece." It was a rhyming gimmick, and though I changed the network and fandom to CBS and Scorpion, I kept the second part of the phrase because I liked it.

Anyway, enough of me explaining things and on to the story.

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 **Title** | Professional Colleagues

 **Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

 **Description** | _As quickly as possible, she threw her clothes back on and then looked apologetically towards Walter. "I'm sorry," she whispered before tiptoeing out of the loft and racing for the door._

 **Rating** | This fanfiction will be rated T.

 **POV** | Limited Third Person

 **Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_ , I am the owner of this masterpiece.

 **Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

 **Professional Colleagues**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Part 2**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Walter knew he needed to talk to Paige, but he wasn't sure he was ready to hear anything she had to say with an open mind. Paige leaving him this morning was greatly unsettling, and it hurt… a lot. He didn't understand what could have prompted her to leave, and he needed someone to help him sort things through. He almost made the mistake of talking to Toby, and he knew Happy and Sylvester were probably not the best people to bring his issue to. That left either Cabe or Megan, and he sure as hell wasn't going to get Megan involved in his seemingly horrible romantic life. She would, calculably, tease him at first, and though she might have some solid advice, she was also dating his best friend, and he didn't dare risk Megan accidentally spilling Walter's dilemma to Sylvester.

So… after process of elimination… Cabe was his only _best_ option; though, deep inside, he already knew that. He was already halfway to Cabe's apartment.

As he slowly walked along the sidewalk with his feet dragging and his hands digging deep into his pockets, an SUV pulled up to him. "Hey," Cabe's voice caught Walter's attention, "Get in."

Without hesitation, Walter climbed into the front passenger seat of Cabe's SUV but didn't say anything. When his seatbelt was on and the door was closed, Cabe said, "Let's go grab some breakfast at Kovelsky's."

"Okay," Walter nodded quietly.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Walter had never been more silent during a car ride than he was today, and his constant silence concerned Cabe. _Something_ was troubling the super genius, and Cabe hoped Walter would open up to him. Perhaps it was something he could help with.

The first half of their breakfast was still very quiet. Cabe was waiting for Walter to say something, but as the silence dragged on, the agent couldn't take it anymore. "So, kid, you going to tell me what's eating you or not?"

Walter slowly looked up from his pancake and pursed his lips before wiping his mouth with his napkin. He suspiciously scanned his surroundings, making sure a certain shrink didn't follow him before speaking. "I, uh," he cleared his throat, "I need some advice… a second opinion on something…."

"Okay. I'm listening." Cabe shifted in his chair and sipped his coffee as he gave Walter his undivided attention. He folded his fingers and rested his hands on the table as he patiently waited for Walter to speak again.

"Um," Walter loosened his tie a little and gulped, "this isn't easy for me to, uh, say, so, uh, bear with me."

"Take your time, son." Cabe gave Walter a small smile of encouragement as he folded his arms and leaned back into his chair. "There's no case yet today so we've got as long as you need."

"Last night, uh," Walter ran his hand through his hair, "after everyone left, Paige and I… sort of, uh, well we sort of kissed…. t-to back up a theory of course, but… yeah…."

Cabe lightly chuckled, "Most people would consider kissing someone they love a good thing, 197. Is that what's bothering you?"

"No," Walter's voice cracked, "th-there's more."

Cabe's eyebrows lifted towards the ceiling; the agent suspected the conclusion to Walter's story, but he decided to reserve his thoughts until after the genius was finished. "Oh?"

"Yeah…," Walter scratched the side of his face and looked anywhere but at Cabe. "Things sort of led from one thing to another, and we sort of… slept together last night."

Cabe feigned shock and suppressed his smirk. "And you're upset because it was terrible?"

"What?" Walter blinked. "No. It's not that…. _That_ part was," the genius cleared his throat, "anyway, when I woke up this morning… she was gone."

"Ah," Cabe suddenly felt sorry for Walter; he knew how hard Walter had it with women, and waking up with Paige missing probably wasn't an easy thing to digest for him.

"Yeah." Walter swallowed the lump in his throat, unsure if telling Cabe was the right thing. "Do you, uh, do you know why?"

"Son," Cabe reached across the table and touched Walter's shoulder, "only Paige knows why she left, but… don't make any assumptions before you know hear the truth from her. She probably has a good, solid reason because, frankly, I'm just as puzzled as you. She's considerably different than any other woman you've known so… I don't think she would have left you if she didn't have a good reason. Understand?"

Walter slowly nodded. "Collect the facts before factoring a conclusion. Got it."

"But when you do talk to her, 197, don't treat this delicate situation like a math problem." Cabe lowered his voice and leaned forward as he dropped his hand from Walter's shoulder. "Truly listen to Paige and don't try to block her out; one thing I've learned about women is that they seem to talk in riddles. They might say one thing, when they mean something else entirely, and it's like a maze trying to figure them out. So… before you trap your mind inside that maze, just… listen to her, okay?" Cabe paused when he saw Walter going into deep thought. "Did I," Cabe cleared his voice and captured the man's attention, "Was what I said helpful at all?"

"Actually," Walter rose to his feet, "it surprisingly was." He threw a few bills on the table and scrambled out of the diner, exclaiming, "Thanks!"

Cabe couldn't help but roll his eyes, shake his head and laugh.

Walter was certainly something else.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Paige had spent most of her morning just laying on her bed and doing nothing. She didn't feel like being productive today, and the memories of last night constantly made her insides feel like jelly. Walter _really_ had such a strong effect on her, and the desire to be with him again was increasing.

Last night was blissfully beautiful and filled with so much emotion, and thinking about it tore her to pieces. She didn't want it to be so wonderful; she didn't want it to continuously make her toes curl any time she thought about Walter madly kissing her and touching her and driving her absolutely insane.

But having those desires really pained Paige because she figured it wasn't something Walter wanted. Last night happened because they were both vulnerable after a wild and crazy case. It was a night bred from passion and pent up sexual tension… a whim.

That was all it was… that was all it _could_ be.

In order to protect her heart, she had to lie to herself so it wouldn't possibly break again.

And that… hurt… a lot.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Walter never ran so fast; he bolted from the diner to Paige's condo, not even bothering to stop by the garage to fetch his poor excuse of a car. He nearly ran into an elderly woman as he scrambled to cross the busy street and was almost hit by a crazy driver, but he didn't car. He had to talk to her. He had to hear her out and figure out how he could fix this. He _needed_ to fix this.

By the time he arrived to the condominium complex Paige lived in, he was out of breath and on the verge of collapsing, but he didn't take a break until he was standing in front of her door. He bent over and grabbed his knees to catch his breath; he counted to 120 before persistently knocking on her door. He wouldn't stop knocking until she opened it. He was damn well determined to speak to her, and he wasn't going to leave until he found out why Paige left. Cabe was right; Paige wouldn't have left if she didn't have a good reason, and before he jumped to conclusions, he _needed_ to hear her out. He _had_ to hear her out.

And after 67 seconds of insane knocking, the door finally swung open.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Paige wasn't entirely surprised to find Walter on the other side of her door; she knew he'd show up eventually to tell her last night was a mistake. She just… she thought she had more time. "Walter…."

Without a word, Walter abruptly stepped inside with his hands in his pockets and then leaned against the wall as Paige slowly closed the door. Before she could ask him why he was there (though she had a pretty good idea), Walter asked something she never expected to hear, and it completely shattered her heart. "Why, Paige?" the crack in his voice forced her to look into his deep brown eyes as he softly and painfully spoke. "W-Why did you leave?" He raked his hand through his hair and sprung away from the wall as he passed her. He paced in circles a few times before adding, "Did I do something wrong, or say something I shouldn't have last night?"

"Of course not," Paige bit her lip and inhaled a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

"Then why did you go?" Walter twisted his attention towards her, desperate for answers. "I need to know what went wrong last night…. What do I need to fix?"

"Walter," Paige's voice cracked as she slowly approached him, "Nothing went wrong last night." She closed her eyes and circled over to her couch before collapsing into the cushion. "Actually," she covered her face in her hands and sighed loudly before turning towards him, "last night shouldn't have happened."

Walter, weak in the knees, sat down beside her as her words drove knives into his skin. "I don't… I don't understand."

Paige rubbed her temples and sighed quietly, "We agreed to stay professional, Walter. That was what you wanted… that's what's best for the team, and I told you yesterday that I would never want to jeopardize Scorpion in anyway. It wasn't supposed to happen so… let's just agree that last night was a mistake and move on."

"I won't agree to that," Walter shook his head and grabbed her hand. "Last night _wasn't_ a mistake, and you know it. We both know it. Sure, it wasn't planned, but it happened, Paige. And I don't believe you didn't want it because if you didn't, then it wouldn't have happened. Yes," Walter found himself squeezing her hand, "we did agree to remain strictly professional, but… it's not what I want… It's… It's never _been_ what I want, and I'm smart enough to know you wanted something more too." Paige closed her eyes and inhaled a shaky breath as Walter continued. "So no. I don't believe you when you say last night shouldn't have happened. Last night was… incredible, and I know you felt something because I felt something too. So, I'll ask you again, wh—"

"Walter," Paige finally found the will to speak. "Don't."

"Why did you leave this morning?" He desperately pressed, hoping Paige would tell him the truth.

Paige, however, was reluctant. "Just stop, Walter. Please."

"Stop what?" He demanded. "Stop trying to figure all of this out?! Stop trying to be honest with you?! I thought you said open communication was important. I thought last night was something we both wanted, and I have been literally going out of my mind trying to figure out why you weren't there this morning when I woke up. I…," he looked away from her and lowered his voice, "I thought you were different…."

"I was scared, okay!?" Paige suddenly lashed out as she ripped her hand from Walter's, jumped off of the couch and started pacing about the room. "Yesterday, we both admitted having crazy intense feelings for one another, and, well, despite our decision to remain as professional colleagues, last night was amazing and beautiful and more than I ever imagined, but…," she quickly wiped away her tears, "the last time I had something real, it blew up in my face." She raked her hands through her uncombed hair and inhaled a deep breath before speaking again. "As much as I loved every part of being with you last night, I just…," she sighed, "I just think it'll be easier staying professional." She sank into the seat next to Walter and buried her head into her hands before finding the courage to look into Walter's deep eyes. "I have a son, Walter, and… and he adores you. Not only do I not want to jeopardize Scorpion, but I especially don't want to jeopardize your relationship with Ralph. That's more important than anything you and I have…."

"Not to me," Walter spoke softly as he bravely reached for her hand and locked her fingers with his. "To me, my relationship with Ralph and my relationship with you are the same level of importance. You and Ralph are a package deal, Paige. You're both equally important to me, and Scorpion can't function without the two of you… I… can't function without you two, either." He looked at their conjoined hands and eventually added, "Is that not, um," he cleared his throat, "how you feel about me?"

Paige didn't dare look at Walter as she slowly answered him. She inhaled a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I can't imagine where I'd be without you, Walter, or without Scorpion, but…," she pushed her hair back, "the thought of _being_ with you, no matter how much I want it, frightens me. You want honesty?" she finally locked eyes with Walter's, "Last night," she let out a pathetic laugh, "made me realize just how crazy I am for you, Walter, and the realization that I'm… that I'm falling in love with you scares me to no end….

"That's why I left this morning. I was scared you would see it all as a big mistake, and I couldn't handle that… I didn't _want_ to handle that…. So… I left, and I made myself believe in lies to prevent me from being burned again…." She paused to wipe her tears and inhale a shaky breath. "The last time I fell in love, my son and I were sidelined for a sport. A sport. I can't afford to go through something like that again…. And even if last night meant something to you too, I know how much Scorpion means to you…. So… I think it's for the best we sideline our feelings and remain strictly professional for the sake of Scorpion. Just like we originally agreed. We'd both be saving ourselves from future heartache."

"But… what if that's not what I want, Paige?" Walter squeezed her hand and leaned closer to her. "What if… what I want is more nights like last night?"

"Walter," Paige pushed herself off of the couch and stepped away from him. He followed her, though. "Please, don't."

"Just… just hear me out, okay?"

She heaved an exacerbated sigh before finally nodding for him to continue.

"I know I'm not… the easiest person to be around, and you're certainly a challenging woman as well, but… I'm positive we can make things work, Paige." From behind her, he grabbed her hand again and held it gently. "I was naïve to think that professional colleagues was the only option for us…. That _we_ can't work any other way, but… our feelings for each other have existed long before last night, and all of our cases still worked out. I know… you and me… would be a different dynamic for the team, and we wouldn't have to let the team know about us for a while…. I just… I just want to make things work between us…. I _need_ to make things work between us."

"That's just it, Walter," Paige whipped around to face him with tear-stained cheeks, "we shouldn't _have_ to make things work! They should just… work!"

"Like last night?" Walter muttered, gazing into her eyes with such intensity.

She opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it, unsure what to say.

Walter, however, was dead serious about everything; he had almost lost an opportunity to be with Paige once. He wasn't prepared to go through that again. "Look, Paige," Walter clasped her hand in both of his, "Let me tell you what I know. Last night, for me, was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I _felt_ the emotion between us; I felt alive. I felt complete. And beyond that, for the first time in my life, I realized how wrong I was about love…. It's not junk science, and it's not just a chemical reaction inside the brain. If that's all love was, then I wouldn't have felt the things I felt last night." He carefully stepped closer to her.

"I know you probably already know this, but when I was essentially trapped in that car and fighting for my life, I refused to leave until I spoke to you. I used to believe romantic affections couldn't control the actions of others, but I was gravely mistaken," he let out a little laugh, "and it took me almost dying to figure all of that out." When Paige didn't laugh, Walter's little smile fell. "Um, anyway, long story short, I'm, uh, I'm willing to take a risk for you and me…. And though, um, though I can't promise to be Mr. Perfect for you, um," he scratched the side of his face, "and I'm certain I'll mess up, but…," he cleared his throat, "I want there to be an us, Paige…. I _need_ there to be an us."

Paige's heart could barely contain itself; it was beating wildly for the man in front of her, and the fact that he literally told her he wanted to be in a relationship with her made her head spin. First he said he thought their feelings for each other were destabilizing, but now they're not? And… did he love her? Did he actually love her? Or…, was he just confused?

Or… was _she_ the one who was confused about her feelings for him?

No. She loved him. That much was certain, but… even if he _did_ love her… even if he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him, it was wrong. It wasn't right. The world needed Walter O'Brien… they needed Scorpion, and if she followed her heart, she would be a distraction, and she would jeopardize everything he had ever built.

As _more_ than just his translator, she would only hold him back….

But as she opened her mouth to speak, Walter didn't waste an opportunity to kiss her. He leaned into her and caressed her face, and her body went on autopilot as her arms slid around his neck, making it infinitely easier for her to kiss him as hard as he was kissing her. Her fingers curled through his hair, and his left hand dipped underneath her blouse to feel her warm back against his palm.

She sighed in response to his touch, and she moaned into his mouth as he pinned her against the wall and pushed his hips to hers. She clawed at his back and raked her fingers over his toned muscles, never wanting him to let her go. She then trailed her hands to his tie and slid it off of him before working at the buttons of his button-up; as he kept his braced hand steady on her waist, his other palm crept up her shirt and then peeled it off of her before unclasping and pulling off her bra. He started trailing his lips to her collarbone when Paige suddenly stopped moving.

He stopped too.

"Paige?" Walter's voice was low, but his concern for her spoke volumes.

"I'm…," she visibly froze and gazed at him with pain-filled eyes. She couldn't _do_ this. She couldn't be the reason he takes his focus off of the world; they needed him much more than she did…. She could never compete with the world…. She just couldn't. "I'm sorry," she forcibly pushed Walter off of her and wormed away from him. "I can't do this…. _We_ shouldn't be doing this…."

"Paige…."

"Just go, Walter!" Paige pointed to her door and then hugged herself to hide her chest from him. "Please, just…" she turned away from him, "just leave."

Walter groaned loudly and rubbed his temples. "What is it you want, Paige? You wanted us last night, you don't this morning, then you seem to want it again all before you change your mind and tell me to leave. It's frustrating not knowing what you want so which is it, Paige? Make up your damn mind!"

"I don't want it!" She yelled louder than she intended to, causing the genius to jump. Her voice, now barely above a whisper, softly added, "I can't want it."

"What do you mean by that?" Walter approached her but kept his distance as the woman hugged herself even tighter. "What's forcing you not to want it… us… _this_?" When she didn't answer, he tried a different approach. "Paige… if you want me to understand _why_ you don't want there to be an us, then… explain it to me because right now, nothing makes sense. I'm getting mixed signals, and I don't know what to do with them."

"Then don't do anything," Paige quietly said before taking off towards her bedroom, warning Walter not to follow her. And after he reluctantly left, Paige sank to the floor behind her door and fell apart.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

One more chapter to go! Do you think Walter can figure out a way to convince Paige to change her mind? Or, do you think she'll have to find her way back to him on her own?

Let me know how you think!

PS. For those of you who are confused, I'm trying this new writing where you see Walter somewhat peeling back the layers guarding Paige's heart. At first, we see her trying to explain to him that their night together was a mistake, only to find out she was scared of the being burned again. And then, the more she tried to explain things to Walter, the deeper we find her layers were.


	3. Chapter 3

**WriterFreak001:**

And here, drumroll please, is the final installment. :3 Didn't expect it to be this long! I just couldn't stop typing! X)

* * *

 **Title** | Professional Colleagues

 **Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

 **Description** | _As quickly as possible, she threw her clothes back on and then looked apologetically towards Walter. "I'm sorry," she whispered before tiptoeing out of the loft and racing for the door._

 **Rating** | This fanfiction will be rated T.

 **POV** | Limited Third Person

 **Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_ , I am the owner of this masterpiece.

 **Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

 **Professional Colleagues**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Part 3**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

It had been three days since Paige initially called in sick, and Toby was seriously getting worried. Cases without Scorpion's liaison were dull and boring, and other than Cabe, no one was able to keep Walter in check. It was almost like the super genius reverted back to his coldhearted self – always snapping at authority, making authoritative demands, being extremely reckless… the list went on, and Toby didn't like this strange change in Walter, and he especially didn't like the fact that Paige had something to do with it.

When Scorpion didn't have a case, Walter was in his loft, avoiding everybody. Occasionally, Toby would sneak upstairs just to make sure 197 didn't dive down the rabbit hole, but for the most part, the team left him alone to deal with whatever he was going through. They, at first, thought it was some sort of phase he was enduring because Paige wasn't at work, but the longer Paige chose _not_ to come in, the more they realized _something_ was off.

"Hey, Doc," Happy muttered as she planted her hands evenly on the shrink's desk and leaned forward until she was in his line of vision, "got a sec?"

Toby smiled. "For you? I have forever."

Happy suppressed a grin and went straight to business, "Something's off with Walt, and something's off with Paige. I don't like it."

"Welcome to the club," Toby mumbled as he leaned back in his chair and locked his hands behind his head.

"Whatever's going on between them is destabilizing," Happy frowned as she casually flipped her hair. "It needs to get fixed. The sooner, the better."

"Oh, I agree completely," Toby nodded as he propped his feet on top of his desk. "Paige skipping work and Walter being an asshole 24/7 have me concerned, making me unable to focus on anything else. And Sly," Toby pointed to the nervous man sitting in the desk next to his, "has been going crazy with his Rubik's Cubes for the past two days. You've been pounding metal most of the time today, but I can also tell you're unfocused, too. You keep looking up towards the loft and occasionally check your phone in the off chance Paige calls or texts you. Long story short, Walter and Paige's BS is… destabilizing."

"That's what I _just_ said."

"I know," Toby grinned, "I just like repeating stuff you say."

Happy dramatically rolled her eyes. "Anyway," Happy pursed her lips, "we need to do something about this."

"Intervention," Toby smirked ear to ear. "I like it."

"Normally, I wouldn't care about getting involved with others' affairs, but, like I said, their issues are negatively affecting the team; without intervention, whatever Walt and Paige are going through could take months…, and I don't have that kind of patience." Happy straightened herself and folded her arms as she shifted her feet. "So… you in?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Okay. Good." Happy took a step back. "You talk to Walt, and I'll talk to Dineen."

"Why do _I_ get stuck with Walter?!" Toby melodramatically threw his hands out as he rose to his feet and strode over to Happy. "Why not _you_? You're the toughest!"

"What Walt needs is a window to the EQ world, doc. You might not have as great of an EQ as Sly or Paige, but you understand the mind and can give Walter a unique perspective of whatever's going on with him and Paige. What _Paige_ needs is someone who can help her see into Walt's head. I'm more equipped than you, and if you talk to Paige, you'll get nowhere. I bet you 90% she's gonna be a blubbery mess, and if she is, then her tears would attract you like a wounded puppy, and a puppy's not what she needs. She needs a bulldog."

Toby sighed. "Fine. Fine. But… tonight" He slowly headed up the stairs towards the loft. "If Walt fires m—"

"Walt won't fire you. Now go."

"Yes ma'am." Toby mumbled as he playfully saluted Happy on his way up the stairs.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

For the past hour, Walter had been lying on his couch with his arm draped over his eyes, replaying his last conversation with Paige over and over and over again inside his head but couldn't make sense of some of it. He had analyzed every word she said, and he understood, for the most part, the entire conversation, but her withdrawal after their kiss didn't make any sense. He told her, in so many words, that he loved her, and yet, she still rejected him. And she also said she loved him too…

It was all too confusing, and Cabe was right; figuring out a woman was like walking into a maze, and as much as her rejection hurt… and as much as he wanted to forget everything that had happened between them in the last week, he couldn't. He couldn't suppress _any_ of it.

And every day, they only grew stronger.

He had tried denying them by focusing on cases, but he wasn't the best human being to be around any time he tried ignoring those feelings; they were just too strong for him to completely disregard them. And so, every time he came home after a case, he'd storm up to his loft and would sulk, unsure how else to handle them without channeling them through his anger (something he'd rather not repeat due to the results of last time he stormed out of the garage on account of his emotions). He knew everyone figured something was going on, but he didn't dare tell them; they didn't need to know.

No one needed to know.

He had to handle all of this himself.

"Careful, Walt," Toby's sudden (and most certainly unwanted) presence startled Walter, almost causing him to fall off of the couch. "You're EQ's showing."

"Go away, Toby." Walter grumbled as he sat up, rubbed his eyes and pulled down on his face. "I don't want a psych eval today."

"Good," Toby chuckled as he jumped onto the couch next to Walter, "Cuz I'm totally going to give you one."

Walter glowered at him and pulled out his phone to see if there were any messages from Cabe… or…

"You miss her, don't you."

Walter clicked off his phone and rose to his feet. "Paige just needs some time off; she'll be back when she's ready. I have no reason to miss her; I know exactly where she is." Walter circled around the couch and headed for his kitchen to grab himself some coffee. "Your observation is flawed."

"Is it?" Toby mused as he lounged on the couch and propped his feet on the coffee table. "Or, are _you_ just in denial?"

"And," Walter forced a smile, " _what_ would I be denying?"

"You tell me." Toby shrugged. The shrink took off his hat and placed it down on the table next to his feet. "Obviously, there's something going on between you and Paige. Otherwise, she wouldn't be skipping work, and you wouldn't be wallowing up here when you're not being an asshole everywhere else."

"There's _noth_ —"

"Can it, Walt!" Toby dramatically threw his hands outward as he jumped off of the couch and stormed up to the super genius. "Stop lying to yourself, and stop thinking you can handle whatever the hell is going on by yourself. Obviously you can't because whatever it is, it's reflecting badly on the team. You've been in a bad mood ever since the day _after_ we saved SoCal, and your attitude even has Happy all squeamish. Not to mention, Sly's been a nervous wreck ever since Paige went AWOL. So if you're not going to talk about what's going on between you and Paige, at least go and talk to _her_ bec—"

"I've have _nothing_ to say to her." Walter spat as he clenched his empty coffee cup, tempted to smash it against the wall. "And she's clearly made up her mind, so, whatever happens now is _her_ call. If she wants to skip work, fine. That's all just…," he gritted his teeth, " _fine_."

"Clearly," Toby rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he leaned against the counter. "Look, Walt, I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, it needs to be fixed because it's giving the rest of us a bad taste in our mouths. It's," Toby paused as the super genius glanced at him while pouring his coffee, "destabilizing."

Walter paused and almost spilt coffee on the counter. He sighed greatly and placed the kettle down before making a mess. "So which is it then!?" Walter clenched his teeth and then suddenly slammed his hands against the counter.

"I'm not following," Toby shifted his weight away from the counter and clucked his tongue. "I was right, wasn't I?" Walter didn't dare look at him. "Something _did_ happen between you and Paige the other night." Walter pushed himself away from the counter and abandoned his half-filled coffee mug as he tried to escape Toby's psychobabble. The shrink, to Walter's dismay, followed. "And _whatever_ happened has estranged you two, and you two can't stand to work in the same environment anymore. Am I right?"

"Not even close," Walter lied through his teeth.

"You're a terrible liar."

"Toby," Walter groaned as he pinched his nose and closed his eyes, "just… let things lie."

"And catch _your_ miserable disease?" Toby half chuckled as he circled around Walter to face him. "No. Thank. You." When Walter didn't respond to Toby's response, the shrink tried approaching things from another angle. "So, Walt," Toby didn't like pulling Walter's strings (well, actually, he did, but still!) the wrong way, but if he wasn't going to get through to Walter by mentioning Paige, then he had to get a reaction from the super genius a different way, "when Ralph comes back home from Portland, are you going to ignore him too?"

Walter froze and stiffened before relaxing a bit. "Of course not. That's preposterous."

"Is it?" Toby shrugged again. "I mean, whatever's going on between you and Paige not only has a bad impact on the team, but it'll also have a negative effect on Ralphy-boy, too. With the two of you acting like this, Paige might not bring Ralph over."

"She wouldn't do that." Walter said way too quickly, but he wasn't sure he believed himself. "She _couldn't_ do that."

"She just might," Toby pursed his lips as Walter shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled his feet.

" _Maybe_ you're right, 197. Maybe she won't be that bitchy, but it all depends… is she keeping her distance because of something _you_ did? Or, is it because of something else?" Toby lifted his eyebrows and cocked his head as he studied Walter's rigid response. "Hm?"

"She didn't do anything… not… not initially at least… And," Walter inhaled a deep breath, "I didn't either…. Everything was mutual…. Or," he looked down at the ground and scratched the side of his face, "so I thought."

"Duuuuuude!" Toby's eyes popped wide open as he blatantly pointed at Walter, "you and Paige did the nasty! That's why you were all weird and tired-looking the other morning! You and Paige slept together, and because the two of you were feeling weird about it and didn't want any of us to question you guys, you had her sneak out early before any of us arrived, and that's what you were going to talk to me about, wasn't it?! You were going to tell me about your night with Paige because you were trying to process it, am I right?"

Walter walked away from Toby and sank down in the couch again. No point in trying to cover it up now…. "I didn't have her sneak out early…. She left before I woke up."

Toby suppressed his excitement and plopped down beside Walter. "And you went over to her place to ask her about it, yes?"

"Yes."

"And she said?"

"A bunch of things…," he shrugged and stared intently at the table. "She kept making excuses why she didn't want things to work out between us."

"Wait," Toby visibly shook his head and tried to make sense of everything. "The day before, you told her you didn't think acting on your feelings would be smart…. You told her it would be destabilizing."

"And that's what I thought… until…"

"Until you realized just how wrong you were," Toby touched his chin and nodded slowly. "I see…."

"I told her I was wrong about everything…. That I, uh, that I _did_ want something more with her… and to, um," Walter cleared his throat, "Anyway, it doesn't matter; she _clearly_ doesn't want the same things anymore."

"Is that what _she_ said?"

"It's what she implied," Walter was prepared to run away from Toby again, but the shrink's next question had him glued to his seat.

"What did she _say_ exactly?"

Walter didn't answer.

"Okay, before you answer that, was sleeping with Paige worth it?"

Walter shot a glare at Toby. "That's none of your business."

"Well, in order for me to help you out, 197, I'm gonna need details." Toby crossed his arms and leaned back against the couch.

"I'm _not_ giving you any details."

"You don't have to," Toby smirked, "if it was terrible, you wouldn't have a problem discussing it, but since it _wasn't_ , you immediately went into defensive mode." Toby noticed Walter's discomfort so he decided to change the topic. " _Anyway_ , now that _that's_ been determined, if it was _that_ epic for _you_ , then it must have been just as magical to Paige, too. So… wait," Toby sensed Walter wasn't telling him _everything_ that happened the day he went to see Paige, "if you practically poured your heart out to her, she must have mentioned _something_ about her feelings, too, right?"

"In so many words," Walter shrugged, again avoiding Toby's uncomfortable gaze. "But she, uh, she said she was scared… of her feelings for me… of getting burned again… of things changing… of possibly jeopardizing Scorpion if we… decided to be more than friends. She said she couldn't handle it if I thought our… uh… night together… was a mistake." He stared at his clasped hands and groaned. "But I told her… practically spelled it out to her… that I didn't think it _was_ a mistake…. That I wanted…," his voice trailed, unsure how to articulate his thoughts properly. "And I, uh, tried showing her I didn't think sleeping with her was a mistake, and, uh, we almost… again… but, uh, she stopped things and told me she, um, she didn't _want_ us… that she _couldn't_ want us…."

Toby took a minute to process everything Walter uncharacteristically divulged and patted his friend's shoulder. "Seems to me there's something bigger going on here, Walt."

Walter gave Toby an almost desperate look. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Toby shrugged, "I can't say I know for sure since I'm not Paige, but your initial comment about your feelings for each other was that it was destabilizing. Meaning, you initially thought being with her would be disruptive and threatening to Scorpion, yes?"

"I did… at one time… think that, but I disproved that to her…. That's not how I think anymore." Walter inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If there's something bigger going on with her, then why didn't she just tell me what it was?"

"If any one woman told me everything they were feeling, I'd call that a successful session, and for all you know, maybe she _did_ tell you; you just weren't listening." Toby lightly chuckled as he crossed his legs and shifted to get a little more comfortable. "Understanding a woman is like a mind trap. They talk in riddles, and unless you _really_ listen to Paige, you may never understand what she's really talking about."

"That's… not the first time someone's told me that…." Walter mumbled as he remembered what Cabe had told him. He had spent so much time telling Paige how _he_ felt and how _he_ didn't understand why she was distancing herself from him, that he didn't actually take time to hear her out. Sure, she told him she was scared of different things, but the more he thought about their conversation, the more he realized he did most of the talking when he should have been listening. He eventually said, "she begged me not to press her…, but after I did, she flipped and told me how scared she was about a potential _us_. I, uh, I forced her into talking… probably before she was ready to even talk about it…, and because I was," he sniffed and cleared his throat, "uh, so focused on finding out the truth, I only heard whatever I forced her to tell me… not what she may have wanted to say… or not say…."

"It sucks when you're forced to talk about things you don't want, doesn't it?" Toby said quietly, and Walter pursed his lips.

"I should have been more open… and accepting of what she was trying to tell me…. and not have pressed her…."

"Now, Walter," Toby was ready for a change of pace, "Really think about what Paige might have been trying to tell you; you may just find what you're looking for, and maybe, just maybe, you might find a way to fix all of this."

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Paige knew she had to return to work and face Walter eventually, but the thought of seeing him again broke her heart. She wished she could just forget about duties for one more night and give into her love for him, but it was… impossible. One distraction could cost a life or millions; she knew how important saving lives were for him, and she couldn't get in the way of that. Scorpion needed to be his entire focus. Sidelining their feelings for each other was for the best…, but she still hated it.

And despite how much she loved him and despite how much he apparently loved her, she just couldn't distract him from Scorpion or from saving lives. It wouldn't be fair to him; Walter might not see that now…, but one day, he'd understand. Just before they slept together, he believed their feelings were destabilizing, and… he was right. Even though he didn't want to be, he was, and one day, he would see it again.

Staying professional was their only option; it's what's best for Scorpion, it's what's best for Ralph and it's what's best for the world…. And though she hated it, and she was sure he hated it too, it's what's best for them, too.

It had to be.

She nearly fell off her bed as her doorbell started to ring like crazy, and she grabbed her robe, wrapped the thin, silky material around her body and sluggishly dragged herself to the door, half-expecting her visitor to be Walter again. However, the last person she expected to see was Happy standing there with folded arms, wearing a frown.

"Took you long enough," was the only thing Happy said as she stepped into Paige's apartment before giving the heartbroken woman a quick onceover. "You look like crap."

"I feel like it, too." Paige mumbled, unable to hide her hoarse voice. "Did Walter send you?"

"No." Happy shifted her weight and set her jaw. "He doesn't know I'm here."

"Oh."

"Look," Happy went straight to the point, "It's getting late so I'll be brief. I don't know what's going on with you and Walt, but whatever it is, you two need to figure things out because it's destabilizing for the team. You're obviously miserable, and he's, in his own way, miserable too. So… whatever's going on, suck it up and deal with it. I'm tired of Walt being an asshat so fix whatever _this_ is and return to work. You've had three days to deal with yours and Walter's crap, so pull it together. You have a duty to Scorpion, Paige, and last I checked, self-pity wasn't written in your job description. So… whatever," Happy paused, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable the woman looked, "it's gonna take to make you your obnoxiously cheery self again, I suggest you do it and do it fast."

Paige wrapped her arms around herself and backed away from Happy. "It's not that easy."

"And why not?"

"Because I just can't face Walter right now," Paige bit her lip and stared at the floor.

"Because of what he said in that weather balloon?"

"Because I slept with him!" Paige exclaimed, throwing her hands away from her body.

Happy's eyes were wide open, certainly not expecting… that.

"And you know what? It was absolutely phenomenal," she raked her hands through her hair. "Best night of my life."

"…So you slept with him. Big deal." Happy dug her hands into her pocket, clearly still surprised from Paige's big reveal. "Nothing wrong with friends with benefits."

"Friends with benefits don't do… what we did that night." Paige gave Happy an unnerving laugh. "It was filled with so much passion and fire and," she paused at Happy's grimace, "… love…."

"Okay, so you two had sex and are awkward about it. Still don't see why you're avoiding him…. If your night with Walt," Happy's face twisted, "was _that_ magical or whatever, then wouldn't you want to, uh, you know, keep having nights like that?"

Paige embraced herself again and bit her lip. "I..., uh," she looked away from Happy, "it just won't work."

Happy raised an eyebrow. "Because?"

Paige hesitated, "Because I love him."

"That's not new information," Happy frowned as she stepped towards Paige. "And that doesn't make any sense. You love him, and he clearly loves you; why won't you two work? I know I said fraternizing was bad for Scorpion, but honestly? Seeing Walt mope around and acting like a robot again is increasingly worse. Your miserable self puts a sour taste in _my_ mouth, too. So, what's _really_ going on?"

Paige, tired of Happy's questions, sauntered to her couch and sank down into the cushions. "I left… The morning after… I left, and he was way more upset about it than I thought he would be…. I thought he would see that night as a mistake… a whim…, but he came over that next day and told me I was wrong. I _want_ to believe him, and I think I do, but… you know what?" Paige rose to her feet, ready to dash away from Happy, "It doesn't matter. Walter and I can't ever be a thing…. We have to let things lie…. It's for the best."

"For Scorpion?" Happy guessed, still missing something.

"For Scorpion. For Ralph. For everything."

"Got to hand it to you, Paige, I've seen what this strange separation has done to you and Walter, and it's more destabilizing to the team than if you two were to start a relationship. Walt's a mess. You're a mess. Everything's a mess. If Walt's what makes you happy, and if you're what makes Walt happy, then I don't see what the problem is."

"Does Toby make you happy?" Paige tried to change the subject.

"That's… different."

"Is it?"

"It is."

"I don't think it is."

"Well, you're wrong." Happy frowned. "Anyway, I'm not here to talk about me; I'm here to talk about you and Walt. I understand you leaving…, I've done my fair share of sneaking out myself, but if Walt chased after you, doesn't that prove he does love you?"

"Even if it does, which I'm sure he does love me…. It just won't work."

"So you've said. Still haven't told me why."

Paige groaned. Happy was relentless! She was almost as bad as Toby. "It just…would be better if we stayed friends. His need to save lives… his duty to Scorpion… to the world…, well, they're tall orders…. Much more important to him than I'll ever be… Even if he doesn't see that right now…; that's how it is, and that's how it'll always be. Walter's… better off without me… as anything more than th-the company's translator…."

"So you think Walter values his obligation to the world more than he loves you? Wow," Happy clucked her tongue, "That's pathetic, Dineen."

"Get out," Paige pointed to her door. "I don't need your criticism today."

"Well, apparently you do because that's the craziest piece of shit I've heard from you today." Happy frowned and stood her ground. She was, in no way, going to leave until she straightened out that poor excuse of a translator. "All our lives," she leaned against the wall beside her, "we've been outcasted by normals because of what we could do. Our supernatural capabilities scared people, and they wanted nothing to do with us. We didn't do anything wrong, we were just… born this way. Ralph, one day, will most likely work for Scorpion, and he'll probably be doing a lot of what Walter already does; if that's the case, would you feel the same towards your son? Would you think he'd be better off without you?"

Paige visibly froze. "Of course not."

"You may love Ralph in a different way than you love Walter, but it's essentially the same. Despite what Ralph can do, you love him regardless, and you would trade your life for his if you had to. You're a good parent, Paige. Not many geniuses have that luxury. I know Walt, because of his extreme IQ, may take on a lot more responsibility than he needs to, but that's just who he is. And though Walter does a lot of good for the world, he wouldn't be able to do half of the things he does without you, Paige. As you said before, and though I completely disagreed with you at the time, we were a mess before you came to Scorpion, and though I hate to admit being wrong, you were right. We were barely getting by, and that first case you and Walt did together couldn't have been done without you. You were optimistic enough to encourage Walter to save everybody, and he did. He saved everybody, but he wouldn't have been able to see that option if you hadn't helped him open his eyes to that possibility.

"You think saving the world is more important to Walter than being with you, but the way I see it: Scorpion wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for you, Paige. As geniuses, all we see are facts, numbers and potentialities. If something doesn't work, we try something else until we're all out of options. I heard you over the comm. You told Walter to try connecting that signal again; he wouldn't have done it had you not suggested it, and he wouldn't have considered the Ferrari as a solution in time. Yes, saving lives is a tall order for Walter, but he doesn't save the world alone. He may be one of the greatest minds of this century, but he's not capable of carrying all of that baggage by himself. Saving lives is what Scorpion does. What _all_ of us do. And people die every day; we're not going to be able to save everybody in every situation, but we always exhaust every option we have before even considering giving up. So, like I said, your assumption is bullshit, and if that's the only reason you're rejecting Walter then… you're even more pathetic than I thought."

Paige, never in her life, had heard so many words come from the mechanic, but it didn't change anything. She groaned into her hands, "Even if all of that's true –"

"There's no _if_ about it. It _is_ true."

"Okay, but… I'm just… _me_ …, and he's _Walter O'Brien_." Paige inhaled deeply, "I can't compete with that."

"And I'm just a mechanic," Happy rolled her eyes. "Look, you're right. You _can't_ compete with Walter. No one can. He's leagues smarter than all of us, but _we_ can't compete with _you_ either, Paige. Walter maybe more of a superhuman than anybody I know, but you have this amazing ability to normalize him – which, knowing what he was like _before_ you – is a good thing. And…, I don't think Walter values the world more than he values you, Paige. If that was the case, then logic says he should have let those men on that cruise take you in order to save all of those hostages. Logically speaking, the greater good would have been to sacrifice you for everyone else, but he was willing to trade places with you in a heartbeat. I heard it all over your comm device. So… I don't know _what_ planted those ideas inside your head, but they are faulty. Before making all of these ridiculous assumptions about the man you clearly love, look at the facts."

Paige closed her eyes to keep herself from crying. She covered her face with her hands and sighed heavily. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"

Happy shrugged. "There's only one way to find out."

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Walter had been reviewing his conversation with Paige for the past half hour, and he was drawing up blanks. Everything she had said, for the most part, was pretty cut and dry… there was only one thing that still stumped him.

"So, after you two," Toby cleared his throat, "got all hot and heavy, _then_ what happened?"

Walter shrugged. "She just… froze."

"And?"

"I got frustrated from her mixed signals, and demanded to know if _us_ was what she wanted…." Walter was growing rather uncomfortable sharing all of this with Toby, but it if it was going to help fix things with Paige, then he was willing to suffer through all of it.

"And she said…?"

Walter pinched the bridge of his nose. "She said she didn't want it…, and then she said something strange…, and I can't figure out what she could have meant."

"What did she say?" Toby, completely invested in Walter's playback of his argument with Paige, blinked and leaned forward as he, too, tried his best to understand everything.

"She said, 'I _can't_ want it.'"

"Hmmm…" Toby hummed to himself, "Interesting."

"You know what she meant by that?"

"Not a clue," the shrink shrugged, "but if you really want to know, then there's only one way to find out."

Walter opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped himself the moment he spotted Paige leaning against the counter with her arms wrapped around her body. He immediately sprang to his feet and softly called out her name.

Toby twisted around to see the liaison struggling to say something so he took it as his cue to leave. "I'll, uh, I'll give you two some space." He rose to his feet and headed for the door. "I'm heading out for the night so… call me if you two need some sort of domestic mediator."

After both of them were sure Toby was out of earshot, Paige's eyes went from Walter to the floor, and he stared at the counter beside her.

Eventually, Paige found the courage to speak, "Hi."

"Hi."

"Does he know?"

Walter nodded. "He knows."

She curled a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Happy knows too."

"She does?"

"Yeah…. She came over this evening…. It sort of… spilled out." Paige bit her lip.

"Yeah…. I didn't exactly mean to tell Toby, either…. He, uh, he tricked me into it…." Walter was now staring at the floor.

"Sounds like something Toby would do…," Paige forced a nervous laugh, but she didn't dare look at the man in front of her.

"I guess."

Silence filled the loft, and they both stood in front of each other awkwardly, not really knowing what to do or say. Paige continuously clucked her tongue, and Walter tapped his fingers against his legs. After minutes of uncomfortable silence, Paige, again, broke it. "I'm sorry." Walter's eyes instantly found hers, but he didn't move or say anything. She inhaled a deep breath and combed her fingers through her still very unkempt hair. "The other night was _not_ a mistake; it was the best night of my life, and I _do_ want you, and I want there to _be_ an us, and I really, _really_ love you, Walter," her voice cracked, but she had to hold it together. She _had_ to wait until she was finished speaking before breaking down. "And… being scared _was_ part of wanting to stay professional, but… I was also," she blinked back her tears, "very, _very_ stupid… and blind… and naïve about the whole thing."

"Paige," Walter suddenly spoke, but Paige cut him off.

"Please, Walter, just… hear me out, okay?"

"Okay," Walter nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Before continuing, she stopped looking at him and stared at the floor. "The other day, before you kissed me, I had given you many reasons… excuses… why I was scared to be everything _but_ friends… colleagues, but you wouldn't give up. And though I was scared of change… scared of a lot of things, really, you kissing me made me, for a moment, forget why I was even scared in the first place. You make me feel safe… and loved. It's been a long time since I've had that…, and, for those moments you kissed me, I was ready to stop fighting and just love you like I did the night before. But… then I remembered what you said about Scorpion…, about Scorpion meaning everything to you, and I didn't want to replace that…; I couldn't replace that…." She mindlessly stepped closer to Walter and bit her lip. "And then… as I thought about your duty to Scorpion, I realized you had a much larger duty to the world, and… well, I had it in my head that the world was more important… than… me. So I stopped…, and I fled again." She paused when she realized she was just inches in front of Walter and finally found his eyes again. "The reason I said I _couldn't_ want us was because I felt like I… I couldn't _have_ you… that the world needed you more… that saving lives was more important to you than anything we could ever have…."

"Paige…," Walter was tempted to pull her into an embrace, but he stood still as he tried reading her eyes.

"I'm not done, Walter," Paige said quickly. "Please, let me finish."

"Okay. Sorry." Walter pursed his lips and silently urged her to continue.

"In spite of all of that, in spite of sending you away, I couldn't stop crying…. I haven't cried this much over a man since… well," she forced a nervous laugh, "since I realized Drew wasn't coming back." She paused as she noticed how uncomfortable Walter suddenly became, "Anyway," she quickly said, "Happy knocked some sense into me, and she made me realize that all of my reasons for wanting to stay professional with you were flawed, and she was right. I was acting out of fear and failed to see that the facts were right there, in front of me. I was just… blind to them." She suddenly felt her confidence wavering as her throat tightened; she couldn't hold her tears back anymore, and as they fell, her voice cracked and her lips quivered. "I-is there any ch-chance you can f-forgive me?"

Walter stood there for a moment, still completely taken back by the _real_ reasons Paige had wanted to forget their night together. She thought she was incompatible because she felt unworthy? Invaluable? Oh, she had it _all_ wrong. She was instrumental to everything Walter did for himself and for Scorpion. Even if they never slept together and never found out about each other's feelings, Walter couldn't see Scorpion's future without her, much less his _own_ future either.

After much silence, Paige stepped away from Walter. "I'll, uh, I'll just go now."

As she started to turn away, Walter instantly broke out of his thoughts and instinctively grabbed her hand, silently begging her to wait. "Stay."

Paige's eyes widened, and her breath hitched, but she didn't turn around.

"I don't," Walter squeezed her hand, "I don't know how you thought you weren't as important to me as my duty to Scorpion, but… if it's because of what I first said about our feelings for each other being destabilizing, then… that's my fault. I didn't think that _that_ would imply you being any less valuable to me than Scorpion." He then laced his fingers with hers and lowered his lips to her ear, "Without you, Paige, Scorpion wouldn't function…, and I…," his words caught in his throat, "I _c-can't_ function without you either. I, uh," he lowered his head and touched his forehead to the back of her shoulder, "I tried handling cases without you…, but it didn't feel right…, and I… wasn't exactly pleasant around other people."

Paige closed her eyes and rested their conjoined hands against her heart as she leaned into him. Walter kissed the crook of her neck before resting his chin on her shoulder. "Please forgive me, Walter," she whispered quietly, desperate for his forgiveness. She slowly turned around and tightly embraced him. She blinked back her tears and let out another shaky breath. "Please."

He ran his fingers through her hair and lightly kissed the side of her head as he quietly said, "I forgive you."

Paige lifted her head from his chest as a small smile found her lips. "You do?"

He grinned. "I only state facts, remember?"

Her lips curved ear to ear, and she let out a little laugh as she wiped away her tears. Bravely, she cupped his face and grazed his hairline with her fingertips. "I really do love you, Walter."

"I know," Walter mumbled against her thumb before giving it a gentle kiss. "And I…"

"I know," Paige cut him off as she touched her nose to his. "I know you do, Walter." She then pulled back and looked into his eyes as he gazed into hers before there wasn't any space left between them. Her legs were around him, her fingers threaded through his hair, and Walter's left hand supported her weight as they melted together. She grabbed his cheeks and showered kisses all over his face as Walter held her close to him and mindlessly carried her to his bed. He didn't hesitate tipping them over onto the mattress, and as soon as they landed on the bed, Paige climbed on top of the genius and kissed him hard on the mouth as she loosened his tie and slid it out from underneath his collar. The next to go was his button-up the second she freed his buttons, and she didn't hesitate to peel off his undershirt immediately afterwards.

The rest of their clothes quickly followed.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Toby and Happy had been downstairs in the office area of the garage in case they were needed to calm the waters. The last thing they wanted was things to get worse between the two.

"It's been almost thirty minutes," Toby checked his watch. "You think we should check to make sure they didn't kill each other?"

"Well…," Happy glanced at her phone, "we haven't heard any yelling, so… I'm sure they're fine."

"But what if they're not?"

"Everything's fine." Happy folded her arms. "I'm sure they'll be coming down shortly after making up."

Ten minutes passed and nothing.

"Perhaps," Happy glanced towards the loft, "one peek won't hurt. They've been up there for quite a while…. Apologies shouldn't take this long."

"Maybe they both had a lot to apologize for," Toby shrugged as he leapt to his feet. "But yeah, checking on them is a good idea."

Quietly, the pair crept up the stairs and slowly poked their heads through Walter's door. No sign of them. Both the shrink and the mechanic blinked. "Maybe," Happy whispered, "they made up, and Paige left out the back."

"Do you really think Walter would let Paige leave for home at this time of night?" Toby lifted an eyebrow. "Besides, didn't you give her a ride?"

"Oh. Yeah."

Toby and Happy only got so far as the kitchen when they heard Walter's bed creaking above two _very_ strange, guttural sounds. When everything clicked, Happy blushed and Toby's eyes popped open. They immediately scrambled down the stairs, grabbed their things and raced out of the garage.

As they dashed towards their cars, Toby funneled his lips and called out to Happy (who was much, _much_ faster than him), "You know, downstairs, how you said they'd be coming once they've made up?!"

Happy glanced back at the shrink and hollered, "Yeah?! What of it?!"

"Wrong use of the word, 'coming!'"

 **~ SCORPION ~**

Paige's eyes fluttered open as the sun seeped into Walter's bedroom, and her toes curled. Walter was on his stomach, and as his braced hand draped lazily over the edge of the bed, his left arm was protectively curled around her stomach, pinning her to the bed. She twisted underneath his arm and gently caressed his peaceful face. She carefully leaned towards him and lightly kissed his cheek. He stirred but didn't wake up. "I'll be _right_ back," she whispered before kissing his cheek again. Without waking him, she slid out from underneath his embrace and glided off the bed, heading for the bathroom. And the first thing she did after closing the door was gaze in the mirror and studied her still-tingly body. Remembering everything Walter shamelessly did to her last night made her blush all over.

Sex with _that_ man was going to be her undoing.

…

Walter slowly stirred awake and nearly panicked when he noticed Paige wasn't next to him. He flipped over and sighed with relief when he saw her clothes still coupled with his. She surely wouldn't have left naked, would she?

He almost leapt out of bed to check the bathroom when the door opened. Paige boldly walked out in nothing but her natural beauty, and Walter found himself grinning.

"What?" Paige laughed as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the bathroom.

"You didn't leave." Walter said quietly, causing the woman to stop walking. She slowly turned around and hooked her arms around his neck.

"Nope," Paige kissed him gingerly. "You're stuck with me this time, Walter O'Brien."

"Good," Walter mumbled against her lips as he pushed her into the bathroom.

"Now," Paige smirked as she turned on the shower and tugged on him, "let's go in there," she pointed to the shower, "and see just _how_ unprofessional we can get in twenty minutes."

Walter suddenly gulped, unsure he was prepared for this woman was about to do to him. "I c-can be _very_ unprofessional…."

She wickedly grinned as she tugged him harder. "Prove it."

 **~ SCORPION ~**

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand done! 17 pages! Wow! This is the longest chapter I've written in ages! I feel very proud about this installment, and I hope you enjoyed the ride. I have another idea for a short fic (six or seven chappies at the most) so be on the lookout for it. :)

Some of you suggested Walter go through some sort of life-death situation again to make Paige realize her error, but... I felt like that would only serve as a plot device and it would feel forced in the end. That's why I decided to have Happy and Toby intervene; it would be more natural for Walter and Paige to have their friends help them out even if they don't think they needed it. It seemed more natural that way, and I hope you thought that too.

As always, please review! ;)


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